AI adoption seen affecting cybersecurity hiring in Singapore: report

Singapore less confident in its ability to attract cybersecurity talent compared to global peers.

Cybersecurity leaders in Singapore anticipate the rise of AI to significantly affect the number of personnel in the industry in the next five years, with companies exploring plans to train staff in AI within the next two years, according to a report by Hays.

Its 2024 global cyber security report showed 79% of cybersecurity leaders in the city-state believe that AI will impact headcount in the next five years, higher than the 56% global average.

More than a third (36%) were worried that their implementation of AI in their companies was insufficient to stay relevant.

Within the next two years, 55% of companies expressed their intentions to train staff on AI tools, although 11% said they have no such plans to date.

“Cyber security experts globally are preparing for the influence of AI on their capacity to continue functioning efficiently,” John Borneman, Regional Director at Hays Singapore, commented. “As criminals gain access to evolving tools that heighten their threat capacities, so too will companies need to adjust their security toolkits to respond.”

The majority (89%) of cybersecurity professionals expressed they were very concerned about the budgets for cybersecurity this year. Globally, 72% shared the same sentiment.

Singaporeans rated their ability to positively attract talent at only 28%, lower than the 39% globally. Offers of a salary increase in the past year for professionals were also lower at 35% compared to 44% globally.
 
The report polled 1,000 respondents across 47 countries, including Singapore.